17 - 1941 Stearman Kaydet

John Sessions' 1941 Stearman Kaydet is in the running for Airplane of the Year at the National Aviation Heritage Invitational static display competition at the Reno Air Races.
This Stearman is unique. It had a single owner from 1946, when it was bought as war surplus by William Lehman Clark, until 2005, when Clark died, at 104. Renowned Stearman restorer Larry Tobin acquired it from Clark’s daughter, and Sessions, who established the Historic Flight Foundation bought the project as soon as he heard about it. Airplanes that move through multiple restorations by various owners sometimes end up with creative repairs undreamed of by the original manufacturer. Not this Stearman. Sessions says: “Where the wood rib attaches to the fabric side panel-if Stearman built it with a leather transition, then this one has a leather transition. As it was coming together, we attracted people from great distances to see how they really did it back in the day.”
You can vote for the Stearman Kaydet at:
www.airspacemag.com/vote